


No Good

by writebeforeyouthink



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Multi, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-30
Updated: 2020-06-27
Packaged: 2021-02-28 16:33:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 18,520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23390251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writebeforeyouthink/pseuds/writebeforeyouthink
Summary: As the youngest member of the Detroit City Police Department, you've been tasked with a high-priority case that leads to a partnership with the precinct's roughest detective, Gavin Reed. Through your forced interactions on the same case, you start to learn more about Detective Reed and how he became the most unapologetically arrogant asshole of the central station.
Relationships: Connor (Detroit: Become Human)/Reader, Gavin Reed/Reader
Comments: 19
Kudos: 115





	1. Rain Check

It had been two weeks since Captain Fowler gave you your first assignment; case upon case was splayed out across your otherwise tidy desk and none with reasonable leads.

You were not only the newest member of the Detroit City Police Department, but you were also vastly outnumbered by older, high-ranking and more accomplished detectives. You felt you needed to prove yourself. So much so, that any opposition stuck in your throat when Captain Fowler tossed the files of biblical proportion onto your desk.

You scanned the documents again, refreshing your memory on the details of one particular case that had become the center of your interest. An android suspect fled the scene of the crime while police discovered two deceased humans in the home, a possibility that there was premeditation involved. Each victim had two bullet entry points—one through the skull and one through the chest. From how it looked, it was a desperate plea for freedom.

Revolution was nearing and cases like these were just the beginning.

“Detective?” You looked up to see Lieutenant Anderson’s android partner Connor staring at you inquisitively. “You’re one of the last ones here… except for Detective Reed, but he practically lives at the station.”

You chucked, “I’m more than aware, but these cases don’t solve themselves,” you gestured to the top of your desk. “You don’t have to call me ‘detective’ all the time, either.”

Connor tried out your name minus the formality, feeling the way it sounded when he spoke. “Please let me know if I can be of any assistance. I know a thing or two about the way things run around here.”

Connor leaned against the wall of your cubicle, “Or you could always ask Mr. Ray-Of-Sunshine over there,” he nodded in Detective Reed’s direction.

Your eyes wandered towards where Reed had taken up residency at one of the coffee area’s bar tables. With a case spread out in front of him and a cup of coffee in hand, Reed was deep in thought as his eyes scanned the papers.

“I’d rather not,” You said as you shook your head, “He looks like he’s got his own stuff to deal with. Besides, if I put this off any longer Captain Fowler is going to think it was a mistake putting me on the team…”

You gave Connor a weak smile and he took it as his cue to let you get back to work. Connor didn’t have a permanent residence, so he stayed at the station and waited for the next task assigned to him while keeping check on whoever decided to work “voluntary” night shifts.

Without Connor’s company you were alone again, the only audible sounds coming from the radiator and the electric hum of the overhead lights. You took a deep breath and sighed, closing your eyes and visualizing a paperless workspace. You’d never get there if you didn’t get a start on familiarizing yourself with your cases.

You stood up and stretched, deciding that a quick trip to the coffee maker wouldn’t throw you any more off-course than you already were.

If he did hear you, Reed made no notice to the sound of your footsteps moving through the empty room. You let out an audible breath as you made yourself a cup of coffee at the bar near the wall. Reed didn’t so much as stir from your noise. While your coffee brewed, you looked up at the television.

The most recent android crime came across the runner as the news anchor explained the events. Two androids were taken into custody after an altercation with pro-ownership protesters. _Just another day in Detroit_ , you thought to yourself.

You walked up to Reed, presence barely acknowledged by his eyes lifting to meet yours.

“How’s it coming?” You tried, only earning a blunt, dissatisfied grunt from your coworker.

You peered over at the documents in his hand. You recognized some of the evidence and photographs embedded in the files, “Are you– is that the double homicide case?”

Reed lifted his head, walls going up in defense. You knew Reed had been on the team for a while and didn’t expect anything less than him becoming protective of his cases. He stared at you, so you continued.

“The deviant android that killed both his owners?” You started to feel sick from the glare of Reed’s deadpan expression. “I–”

“How the fuck do you know about this?”

You swallowed, “C-Captain Fowler gave me that file last week.” You stumbled over your words, coffee threatening to bubble back up in your throat. “Either it was a mistake or... we’re working on the same case.”

Reed stood up abruptly, shoving the folder under his arm and grabbing his now empty cup in the other. “I don’t need any help, especially not from someone still trying to earn their place here.” He forced his chair under the table and turned toward the door exiting the station.

“I’ll take care of this with Captain Fowler tomorrow, I’m too tired for this bullshit tonight,” Reed swung the door open, a metallic echo following him.

You stood staring at the door. Two weeks in and you had already managed to piss off one of your superiors. You cursed yourself, accepting whatever fate would find you in the morning.

You sat back down in your office chair, laying your head down on your desk. Another deep breath. With your thoughts swimming erratically in your mind, you closed your eyes for a moment.

When you opened them, it was 6:00 the next morning.

Some of your coworkers were beginning to filter into the office, settling into their routines for the day as you hastily fixed your disheveled appearance. You joked to yourself; _the worst they could think is that you’ve just been really focused on solving your cases, right?_

“Good morning, Detect–”

You jumped, Connor’s voice startling you out of your own thoughts.

“Connor,” You narrowed your eyes at him, pursing your lips. “Do you have, like, a loudness setting? Maybe want to crank that so you don’t scare the hell out of me next time?”

Connor cocked his head to the side and frowned, “I think that would defeat the purpose of my agility and stealth for missions. However, I will remember to announce myself before entering your cubicle.”

You smiled, “Was there something you needed? You know, aside from scaring me awake?”

“I was just coming to check on you. I noticed you fell asleep around 2:32 a.m, but I didn’t want to wake you. You seemed like you had a rough night.”

“So instead you let me sleep until I have to clock in, huh?” You laughed, playfully nudging Connor’s arm with your fist.  
“Thank you, though. I think I needed it. This one case specifically has been kicking my ass.”

Almost as if on cue, Reed sauntered through the office. He glanced at you and Connor out of the corner of his eyes, mumbling something about “fucking androids” under his breath.

You clenched your fists at your sides. It was all you could do to not grab the collar of his leather jacket and ask what his problem was.

You turned back to Connor, “Is he always like that?”

“Like what?”

“A colossal prick.” You watched Reed as he entered Captain Fowler’s office, throwing his report folder down on the desk. He turned around and met your eyes, lip curled up in a faint snarl as he stared at you through the large window. You quickly averted your gaze back to Connor, a hot blush creeping up your face.

“Detective Reed is a very… unique person,” Connor glanced in Reed’s direction. He’d turned his back to the both of you now. “I sometimes wonder if he is any more capable of intelligent human emotion than myself,” Connor’s eyes seemed to light up at your laugh in response.

Lieutenant Anderson then entered the station and immediately called over to Connor, mentioning a morning run to see a potential witness for a statement.

“Duty calls?” you teased, raising an eyebrow at the android.

“As much as I would enjoy decoding Detective Reed with you, I have some work to do.” Connor placed a hand on your shoulder and gave you a small nod before walking off towards his partner.

You looked over “the case” from last night, still wondering what Reed’s issue had been. What did it matter if you were working on the same case? Did he think you weren’t capable of handling something involving an android? Did he just really hate working with a partner―

“Detective? May I see you for a moment?” Captain Fowler called over to you from just outside his door.

You swallowed hard, standing up and making the painstaking walk to Fowler’s office. You closed the large glass door behind you and looked first at Reed, sitting in one of the two chairs in front of Fowler’s desk. His posture screamed impatience, one leg crossed at the ankle over his knee, an elbow propped up on the arm of the chair, holding his head up.

With two fingers on his temple, it looked like he had a headache, and you wouldn’t have doubted if he did. With as much stressing Reed did on a day-to-day basis, it was a surprise his head hadn’t exploded.

“Detective, please have a seat, you’re not in trouble.” Captain Fowler motioned to the empty chair.

You sat down, fixing your wrinkled pants and mentally cursing yourself for falling asleep at the station last night.

“It seems that the two of you have finally figured out that you’re working on the same case.” Fowler stated, gaining Reed’s attention with the word ‘finally’.

“I originally gave Detective Reed this case, but with you being new,” Fowler gestured to you, making you shift uncomfortably in your seat, “I decided to give you a shot at the high ranks cases, so to speak.”

“With that being said, it seems that you have made some great strides in just your general analysis of the documents, some things that even Detective Reed has seemed to overlook.” You heard Reed tut at this statement, his annoyance radiating. “I’ve made up my mind to allow you to become Detective Reed’s partner in this case. So from now forward you will be working collectively, as a team.”

“You can’t be fucking serious.” Reed planted both feet firmly on the floor, standing up and folding his arms over his chest.

“Language, Reed,” Fowler warned, “Think of this as a trial run for both of you. Detective, you get to see what working with a partner is like. And Gavin, you get another opportunity to prove to me that you are capable of working with other people.”

His name was Gavin... Gavin Reed. You mentally noted this for future reference.

“Fowler, this is a joke, right?”

“Is your job a joke?”

“But that’s not—”

“Dismissed, Reed. You and your new partner have a lot to catch up on and I won’t keep you waiting.” Captain Fowler ended the argument as quickly as it had started. Gavin turned towards the door and swung it open, slamming it hard enough to rattle some of the oddities on Captain Fowler’s shelves.

You sighed, shaking your head at the floor, “Captain Fowler? With all due respect, I don’t think this is going to work.”

“If there is one person I know on this force almost as well as I know Hank, it’s Gavin. Give him some time, he needs a fresh outlook on his position and I think you’re the right person to do that for him.”

You nodded, still not completely convinced that this was the right decision. When you rounded the corner, you found Gavin perched in his spot from last night. He was angrily staring at the folder on the table. When he heard you approaching him, he snatched the case file and his keys off the table and began walking towards the door.

Gavin spoke shortly over his shoulder to you, “Come on, I’m taking you for a ride.” Before you could protest, he was already out the door and closing the distance between him and the parking lot.

You scurried behind him, every three of your steps matching Gavin’s powerful stride. Gavin walked over to the driver’s side of his old black Jeep and swiftly climbed in, starting the engine while you situated yourself in the passenger’s seat. He threw his right hand behind your headrest and looked over his shoulder, pulling out of the parking lot.

You were still thinking about Gavin’s outburst in Fowler’s office and what this meant for your partnership. It made you a little more uncomfortable being in a car alone with him, with no knowledge of where you were going or what he expected from you.

Once you were on the road, Gavin pulled a cigarette out of the open pack on his dashboard. He reached over and popped the glove box open in front of you, pulling out a black lighter with a tattoo-like design of a skull with roses on it.

Gavin tossed the lighter into your lap and closed the compartment, the cigarette between his fingers as he pushed the stick shift into the next gear. He stuck the cigarette in his mouth and leaned over to you, changing gears again, “Do you mind being useful and giving me a light here?”

In disbelief at his gruff demeanor, you fumbled with the lighter. It took you a few flicks to finally get a steady flame. You held it for Gavin and he gave you a satisfied grunt when he was done, pulling away and taking a long drag.

While Gavin drove, you took in the sight of your new partner. He was average height, his muscular frame hidden under a dark green shirt and a leather jacket. His brown hair was disheveled, as if he constantly ran a hand through it. His gray eyes were focused on the road, and you noticed the scar that ran from the bridge of his nose to the middle of his cheek. Overall, Gavin was conventionally handsome—his attitude, however, canceled out his attractiveness.

After a while of silence, Gavin turned on the car stereo. The bluesy, indie rock sound of Kaleo’s “No Good” filled the car and Gavin rolled his window down all the way, propping his elbow up on the frame. When he needed to switch gears, he’d steer with his knee.

Watching Gavin drive a manual car was like watching a professional athlete play a game on home court. It was something he was practiced at and felt natural doing. It was a little intimidating.

“How old are you anyway?” Gavin asked suddenly. You started to think Gavin didn’t like silence as much as it seemed.

“25, I just had my birthday a month before starting at the station.”

“25? Jesus you’re practically a kid.”

“Is it rude to ask the same?”

Gavin suppressed a smirk, “If it really makes that much of a difference… I’m 36.”

He was older, but by no means the oldest at the station. If Connor had been an aging human, he’d probably be a few years younger than Gavin. You had accepted that you were the youngest of the police force, but that didn’t stop your ambition and drive to be one of the best detectives under Captain Fowler.

Gavin took another drag from his cigarette, breathing out a cloud of smoke and beating the rhythm of the song onto the steering wheel with his palm. He filled the silence once again, “Listen, I don’t want you to get the wrong idea here.”

“About what?”

“This whole partner thing. I’m not going to hold your hand through every fucking case, and you can bet your ass that you better know how to use your gun because I will not rescue you when shit hits the fan,” Gavin looked over at you, his eyes flicking down and back up, sizing you, “I’m not your fucking knight in shining armor, alright?”

You scoffed, “In my quarter of a century on this earth I have never needed saving, Detective Reed.”

“Gavin,” he interrupted, taking another drag from his cigarette, “Call me Gavin.”

“Okay, Gavin,” You overenunciated the syllables in his name, “I can handle myself. I think I’m more worried about you keeping up with me, old man.”

“Watch your mouth,” Gavin sneered.

You slouched back in the seat, your banter cut short. Gavin was hard to gauge. Your easy back-and-forth with Connor didn’t work with him, but you kept trying.

“Do you have any kids?” You spoke to the window, watching the blur of the passing cars and side streets fall behind you.

“No.”

“A wife?” You could feel Gavin’s eyes on you, burning deep into the side of your face.

“Is this 20 questions?”

“I figure I should at least know the basics about my partner. Might keep you from ditching me at a crime scene,” You looked back to him, your eyes locking with his until he turned back to the road. You felt your cheeks warm.

“You’ve got two more questions. And no, I don’t have a wife. Or girlfriend, if you’re so curious,” Gavin didn’t look back at you this time.

“What’s your favorite book?”

“How is that going to help you?”

You rolled your eyes, “Just answer the question.”

“The Outsiders.” Another long drag from the cigarette.

“You know, that seems pretty on-brand with what you’ve got going on–”

“Ask your last damn question.”

You thought for a second, “If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you be?”

“Anywhere that isn’t near you.” The car stopped. You looked up to see you were at a dive bar. A few motorcycles sat out front and loud music similar to what Gavin played in the car was flowing out of the open double doors.

“Huh, not a sketchy back alley? This is turning out better than I anticipated...” You trailed off, giving Gavin a small smile while he pulled out another cigarette from his pocket.

“Just shut up and stay close to me. You want to get to know me? Then we’re doing this on my terms.” Gavin put the cigarette between his lips and nodded to the men standing around the bar inside the building.

You smiled nervously as you passed the group, mostly keeping your eyes on the floor as you followed Gavin to the back. A small booth secluded from the bustle and noise welcomed you as you gratefully took a seat on the far side.

Gavin slid in across from you, tapping his ashes in the tray on the table. He tossed the files he’d carried in to you, some of the papers spilling out the open seam of the folder onto the wooden surface.

“So Fowler thinks you’ve got this whole thing under control, huh? Tell me what you know.” Gavin craned his head, eyes targeting a bartender as he whistled for her attention. He motioned, a seemingly foreign language only understood between them, and she brought two bottled beers to the table. Gavin winked his thanks at the woman and slid one of the bottles towards you.

“We’re on the clock, Gavin.”

“You’re an adult. And it’s free.”

You rolled your eyes, “You leave me with two options here. I can either say fuck DCPD protocol and drink while on the job,” you narrow your eyes at your partner, “or I can say fuck you and decline the one decent act you’ve shown to me since I started.” You leaned back, folding your arms over your chest.

Gavin raised an eyebrow, a smug smirk forming on his mouth, “Your choice.”

“Can I give you an ultimatum?”

“Ultimatum?” Gavin scoffed, but his expression broke the facade, “I’m listening.”

“You have your two-for—well, two—now, let me drive your Jeep back to the station when we’re done here and I take a rain check.” You traced the outline of a picture peeking from underneath a paperclip.

Gavin said your name and you looked up, bewilderment crossing your face after hearing it uttered by him for the first time, “I understand trying to climb in the force… but asking your superiors out on dates isn’t the way to do it.”

You would have needed a snow shovel to peel your jaw up off the floor. “I’m not– I wasn’t–” You felt embarrassment welling in your chest, creeping up to your face.

Gavin ran his tongue over his teeth. Cheeky fuck. He cut in to prevent you from any further verbal vomit, “Forward, but I like ‘em that way.” Gavin rested his arm across the top of the backrest.

“Fuck you.”

“Apparently you’d like to,” he continued to watch you, making you want to crawl out of your skin and into one of the pockets of a nearby pool table.

“That is not what we came here for. You wanted to know what I’ve got on the case?” Gavin nodded, so you continued, “Probably not much more than you do. Four bullet entry points, two dead humans, one deviant android. And a partridge in a pear tree.” You pushed the documents back towards Gavin.

“That’s it? Can’t say I’m surprised.” Gavin scooped up the files and tucked them away in his jacket.

“I mean, I figured you’d already found the motive and just needed help catching him?”

“Him? And what do you mean ‘motive’? They’re all just pissed off they’re basically new world slaves.”

“It was a male-gendered android model, so yes, it’s a ‘him’. Regardless, it was much more than the rage that caused him to do it… I think it was a passion crime.”

Gavin let out a rumble from deep in his chest, “They’re fucking _plastic_. They don’t think for themselves.”

“If you would have taken more than 30 seconds to allow your two brain cells come together to make one coherent thought, you would have noticed the same bullet holes in both victims. Give me the evidence,” You reached out towards Gavin as he muttered something unintelligible and slapped the papers in your palm.

You flipped through the pages to find the photograph of the crime scene. You pointed to each of the wounds, circled in red pen, “See? One through the head and one through the chest. Specifically, the heart. Have you been keeping up with all that shit about the android revolutions? They feel they aren’t their own beings. They’re controlled by Cyberlife, so their mind isn’t free. They can’t feel pain or emotion, so their hearts aren’t free. It’s a sign… a cry for help.”

Gavin stared at you, eyebrow raised as if to silently communicate how out-of-touch you sounded. “So you’re an android sympathizer? Not gonna lie,” he extinguished his cigarette, twisting it into the bottom of the ashtray, “that’s a pretty big turn off.”

“I’m trying to be serious here,” you huffed, slight defeat resonating in your tone. “Just– hear me out please?”

Gavin held a finger up to you, tilting the bottom of his bottle to the ceiling and finishing off the last of the first beer, “Okay, now I’m all ears, kid.”

“Thank you.” You flipped through the pages of the file, pulling ones you’d seen in your own reports.

“On Tuesday at 3:48 p.m, our dispatchers got a call about a possible murder of two android owners. The male android, an AP700 model made for domestic household life, is the suspect, obviously,” You looked up at Gavin, deep into his second beer but nodding as you spoke. “We have the evidence, we have a probable motive, we just need to go to Fowler with what we’ve got and go from there. Please, Gavin, I need you on this. Together, as a team?”

“Sure, if it’ll get you off my back for a while.” Gavin put the last bottle down on the table with a satisfied thud, looking around the bar. He checked his phone, “It’s still early and I’d like to let my drinks settle before going back to the station.” He started to get up from the booth.

You followed, “I thought we had a deal? I drive back, and we don’t make a day trip out of this.”

“You’re a great detective, you know that?” Gavin mocked, “But I don’t want the new kid driving stick shift on a car that’s ten times your size.” He sauntered over to an empty pool table, picking up two sticks from the wall rack and thrusting one into your arms.

“But Gavin we need to get back to the sta—”

“You’re a lot cuter when you don’t talk as much. Just some advice.” Gavin was already setting up the balls, lifting the rack off and positioning the cue ball to break. He positioned himself on the table, pulling his stick back and looking over his shoulder, “I’ve got the keys, so you might as well make yourself at home.”

You sighed, hopping up onto a tall bar stool at a hightop and slumped your chin into your hand, watching as Gavin pocketed two balls. He motioned to you, “It’s your turn, kid.”

“I don’t play.”

“Then I’ll teach you, dumbass.”

You rolled your eyes, sliding off your seat and meeting Gavin on a corner of the table.

“You’re gonna want to get your eye on level with your stick,” he demonstrated the motion and you followed, “then just pull your arm back and hit the white ball.”

You gripped your fingers around the stick like Gavin had done on his turn, pulling the stick back with your other arm and thrusting it forward. You barely grazed the cue ball, softly nudging it to the side. Gavin let out a hearty laugh, a hand coming over to grip your shoulder.

“Jesus... _fuck_ , you’re terrible.” He reset the ball where it had been before your disastrous attempt to hit it. “Here.”

Gavin leaned over you, his hands curling around yours as he set you up on the stick. Your heart pumped faster and you squinted your eyes to shove the feeling far, far into the back of your mind. You took a deep breath and focused on anything but Gavin’s chest against your back.

“You’re going to position near the cue, alright?” Gavin’s voice was low in your ear, sending the millions of neurons in your brain into misfiring all at once.

“Y-yeah, got it,” was all you were able to get out.

“Then, just reel back a bit,” he pulled your arm back with his, “and connect with the ball.” He pushed your arm forward, pressing himself into you as the cue ball broke through multiple striped balls, knocking one into a pocket on the far end of the table.

Gavin straightened up, taking a step back and admiring the success of his guidance. You peeled yourself off the table as if you were glued from the small bit of pressure he created between you both. Your face was definitely burning as you turned back to face your partner, a smirk creeping across his lips.

“Now don’t get excited, next time I’ll charge you, got it?” He tapped your shoulder with his fist, as you’d done to Connor earlier that day.

“Sure, yeah got it.” You avoided his gaze, feeling something unfamiliar stirring in your stomach. You had the sudden urge to go back to the station, now. “Can we just finish this up? It’s getting late and I’d like to close out some reports before I go home.”

Gavin frowned, “Don’t worry about it, I’ll just take a rain check.” He took the stick from your hand and put the two back up on the wall rack. “Come on, I’m fine to drive.”

You followed Gavin back to the Jeep, climbing into your seat and facing the window while he got in. The drive was silent, with no music to distract the thoughts assaulting your brain.

It wasn’t that you were uncomfortable around Gavin. In just a few hours you were able to see a side of your partner that you didn’t know existed. There was something there, something you felt when Gavin was close to you that you couldn’t explain.

You dealt with “unsolvable” cases on a near-daily basis, you didn’t need Gavin to be another file in your to-do pile.

Gavin saying your name interrupted your thoughts. You turned towards him and realized you were back in the parking lot of DCPD. You got out of the car and walked into the station, Gavin following behind you. As you entered the doorway, Captain Fowler met you with his arms folded, disappointment plastered across his features.

“Detective,” he looked at you and you swallowed hard. His eyes set on Gavin. “Reed–”

“Fowler,” Gavin stepped in front of you, blocking your view of your captain with his broad shoulders. “It’s my fault.”

“It’s _your_ fault? Detective Reed admitting to being in the wrong? Please, go on,” Captain Fowler scoffed.

Gavin’s jaw tensed, his fists clenching in agitation, “I had my car, I chose when we left. I was trying to familiarize myself with the case… and my partner… You know, like you asked, Captain?”

Captain Fowler stepped close to Gavin, closing the space between them as he looked down towards his detective. “If this happens again, I’ll have no choice but to write you up,” Fowler lowered his voice, “and you’re lucky I don’t suspend you for drinking on the job.”

Gavin looked down at his shoes while Captain Fowler pushed past him, “I expect a full report on your findings on my desk tomorrow morning at 6:45. Settle in for a long night, detectives.” And with that, the door to the station closed behind him.

“Fucker…” Gavin drove the toe of his shoe into the floor and strode to his desk, slumping back into the office chair and kicked his feet up. “Pull up a chair, I guess we’ve got some work to do, huh?”

You nodded, excusing yourself to grab two cups of coffee from the lounge area, bringing them back to you and Gavin before wheeling yourself over to his desk for the remainder of the night.


	2. Praise and Punishment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Is it hot in here or is it just Gavin Reed?

Your eyes burned from staring at the computer screen all night, your report reaching ten pages worth of compiled research, details and official documents.

Gavin leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms above his head and yawning deeply, the hem of his shirt lifting up slightly to reveal toned muscle and a trail of dark hair leading to the waistband of his jeans. 

Desire filled your exhausted mind, going into overdrive when you remember the feeling of his chest covering your back as he leaned over you just hours ago at the bar. 

You bit the inside of your lip, pushing any off-color thoughts back into the pits of your subconscious. You chalked it up to your lack of sleep, refusing to acknowledge the idea of any part of you lusting over your partner. You allowed yourself one last read-through of the report before virtually packing it up and sending it to Fowler’s desk.

“Ten minutes early,” Gavin sighed, standing up and twisting his neck from side to side, “If Fowler has anything to say about this I fucking swear I’ll turn my badge in.”

The doors of the station opened and Captain Fowler strolled in, giving you both a once over in your sleep-deprived state as he passed Gavin’s desk and entered his office, calling to you and Gavin as he sat down at his desk.

With the two of you in front of him, Fowler skimmed through the report on his computer, his face unreadable. You didn’t realize you were holding your breath until your boss spoke words that flooded you with relief.

“I’m impressed,” Fowler scanned the end of the document, “A passion crime? Detective, did you come to this conclusion yourself?”

“Yes, sir,” you responded quickly, unsure if he thought it was brilliant or borderline idiotic.

Captain Fowler closed out of the report and faced you, “A very likely possibility. This will do fine for me to pass along to the chief. I think you both have done enough work for now. I’d like you to take the rest of the day off.”

The pride radiating in your chest didn’t last long as Fowler spoke again, “One more thing, Detective. I would like you to take some of those open cases home with you. If you can get at least two of those five files nearly solved, I’ll feel you’re on track with the rest of the detectives in our precinct.”

You tried to hide the sigh escaping your lips, “Yes, sir. I’ll have those finished by Monday.”

“I hope you’ve learned that as partners—as a team—you are in this together,” Fowler’s eyes met Gavin’s tired ones, “You are responsible for each other; praise and punishment alike. Dismissed.”

You managed a thankful nod to Fowler as you turned on your heels, following after Gavin out of the office. You found your way back to your desk, thinking about going home and getting a head start on your cases. At least you would be able to work on them from the comfort of your own apartment. You shoved two of your more important cases in your bag as a familiar figure eclipsed you.

“I can’t remember the last time Fowler gave me a day off…” Gavin leaned back against the wall of your cubicle, folding his arms over his chest. “Whatcha gonna do with this extended weekend? Besides slaving over those...” He pointed to your bag, bits of paper sticking out of the opening.

“Honestly, that just might be it,” you shrugged, turning off your computer and heading towards the front doors.

“Well, I’m not offering to help you, because you need to learn how to do this shit on your own…but,” Gavin opened the door for you and you made your way to the parking lot, “if you need moral support and possible distractions, I’ve got plenty of time.”

“I think the keyword there is “distraction,” and while I appreciate your offer, I’ll pass.” You stood in front of the driver’s side door to your car, leaning back against it.

“Are you sure? I’m trying to be a ‘team’ here.” Gavin made air quotes with his fingers and you laughed.

“Yes, I’m sure. I just want to get these done tonight and enjoy the rest of my weekend.”

Gavin pulled his notepad out of the pocket of his jacket, jotting something down and ripping the piece of paper out, handing it to you. You smiled softly while reading the note; a phone number was scrawled across the page.

A smirk formed on Gavin’s face as he shoved the notepad and hands into his pockets and straightened up, “Justー uh, ya know, if you change your mind.”

“If I call this number, it’s going to be your personal number and not your line for the department, right?” You started getting into your car, tossing your bag in the passenger seat.

“That’s a mystery for you to solve, Detective,” Gavin winked at you, making a clicking sound out of the corner of his mouth. You rolled your eyes as he tapped the hood of your car twice, walking off towards his Jeep.

The drive home in the early hours was refreshing, the sun barely peeked out from behind the buildings of downtown Detroit. Cars weaved in and out of the lanes of the interstate, a steady herd passing over the concrete trails throughout the city. You left the music in the car off, enjoying the silence and unwinding from the stress of deadlines over the last few days. 

It had been almost two days since you had been back to your apartment; Gavin could be partially blamed for both instances of you spending the night at the station. Worse yet, you were in desperate need of a shower. The smell of cigarette smoke still clung to your blazer and work pants, and you inhaled deeply. 

Now that you were finally alone, you allowed your mind to wander. All at once, the floodgates poured scene after scene into your view. _Gavin leaning over you in his Jeep on the way to the bar. Gavin encouraging the banter between you two in the booth. Gavin pressing into you while teaching you pool…_ You sank deeper into thought. _Gavin stretching in the office, offering to come over to help, giving you his number…_

You turned off on the exit leading to your apartment, realizing that you had been driving on mental autopilot for the last five minutes or so. How was it that someone who had been so rude to you, so horribly hostile and despicable in every way your first few weeks at the station had come to take up so much of your headspace?

You refused to answer your own question—for now, anyway—as you pulled into your assigned parking spot. Slinging your bag over your shoulder, you made your way to the lobby of the high-rise building. You smiled at the usher behind the commons desk and placed your hand on the identity scanner, stepping into the elevator as it whisked you to your floor. 

The doors opened to your level and you stepped out, passing a number of doors on your way down the hall until you reached yours. You jiggled the key into the lock, turning the bolt and opening up the door to your small but comfortable home.

“Good morning,” your Google Home greeted you, raising the blinds covering the windows in the apartment, filtering fresh sunlight into the otherwise musty rooms.

“Good morning, Google. What’s happened since I was gone?”

“You have three new messages from Mom, should I read them to you?”

You sighed, “Sure– wait, are they holograms?”

“It appears as such.”

“Alright, play them, I guess,” you kicked your shoes off by the front door, setting your bag down on the coffee table in the living room, “while you’re at it, can you start the coffee maker?”

“Yes and yes, playing messages and making coffee,” a hologram of your mother appeared atop the device, playing back from a few hours earlier.  
  
“Hey, it’s mom,” her sweet, always-concerned voice was emitted from the speaker, “I just wanted to check in, it’s been a few days since I’ve heard from you. I know you’re busy working on cases and all that.”

You rummaged through your fridge, pulling out a yogurt cup and ripping the lid off. You found a spoon and scooped a bite into your mouth, watching your mom’s image from the Google Home. She continued, “Well, I love you, please call me back soon so we can catch up. Alright, bye.”

“Would you like to see the others?”

“No, that’s alright. Google, call mom, please.” You slumped into the couch, listening to the ring once, twice, three times before she finally picked up.  
  
“Hello?”

“Hey mom, it’s me.”

“Oh, good morning, you’re up early,” she sounded nervous, “Is everything alright? It’s been a bit since I’ve talked to you.”

You rolled your eyes, but smiled, “Mom, I’m fine. I spent, like, a day at the station, I’ve been really busy.”

“That’s good to hear, I’m glad you’re getting some work in.”

“Mhmm…” you said, your mouth full of another bite of yogurt.

“Remember it’s Dad’s birthday tomorrow, did you send him a card?”

“I sent him an actual card, yes. I’ll be sure to call him at some point,” you paused, realizing this would be the first year you didn’t spend with your parents for either of their birthdays. “Mom? I… I miss you guys.”

“We miss you, too, believe me,” she let out a sigh, “but we are so proud of you and everything you have accomplished. I know how dedicated you are to your career, and I think you’ll be on the right track to move up at the station.”

“Thank you,” you fought back tears, “Hey listen, I’ve got some cases I had to take home today. Captain told me to take the day off… kind of… so I want to get ahead on those. But it won’t be so long between calls next time, okay?”

“Okay, get to work, yeah?” You could hear the smile in her voice.

“I will, I love you.”

“Love you, too.” The Google Home chimed, signaling the end of the call. You took a deep breath, rising from the couch and tossing the now empty cup into the garbage. The spoon clattered into the sink as you poured yourself a cup of coffee, adding cream and sugar to your liking. You crossed the floor while taking a sip of the hot liquid, pulling open the sliding glass door leading out to your balcony.

The view of Detroit from outside your apartment was worth moving across the country for. The above-ground railway system rounded the city like a child’s train set on Christmas—ceaseless, repetitive rotations around the same path. 

Sun glinted off the mirrored windows of the tallest buildings and CyberLife billboards boasted the newest android models on the market. Construction was always bustling at this hour as new buildings were erected to accommodate all the people flocking to the technology capital of the United States.

Your apartment building was nestled on the outskirts of downtown, just close enough not to miss any action but also far enough away to seclude you from the busy city life. You planned to take a trip to Greektown tomorrow or Sunday, but for now you needed to get your work out of the way.

By 10 p.m., you had gotten a decent amount solved on one of the cases. You needed to call a few witnesses in, but once you got a confession it would be another report on Fowler’s desk. You yawned, saving the next case for tomorrow as you padded over to your bathroom from your small office table in the corner of the living room.

You turned the water on in the shower, steam filling the small room and fogging the mirrors. You let the water run over your skin, a slight burn coating your body as you let out a long sigh. Shampooing your hair felt luxurious, giving yourself a scalp massage under the showerhead. Quickly, you scrubbed yourself from neck to toe, washing your face and rinsing off before turning off the water and stepping out, wrapping a towel around you.

The rest of your nightly routine consisted of brushing your teeth, pulling a large t-shirt and shorts on and climbing into bed, relishing the feeling of being under your own sheets, in your own home.

“Hey Google, turn out the lights, please.”

“Okay, no alarm for tomorrow?”

“Are you kidding? I’m sleeping in. Good night.” You plugged your phone in and set it on the nightstand next to your bed. Drowsiness set in, your eyelids getting heavy as the muted sounds of nightlife on the street lulled you off to sleep.

_You open your eyes to your bedroom. Each corner of the room is pitch black, the middle of the room flooded in soft red light. You move to sit up in your bed but feel the pinch of rope binding your wrists together in a dull grip. Your limbs move like you’re swimming in a pool of gelatin; each seemingly purposeful jolt of your arms fails to release you from the rope’s hold._

_“You’d be better off to stop struggling, kid.” A dark, husky male voice floats into your ears from the foot of your bed. You snap your head up to meet piercing grey eyes trained on you, filled with hunger. He steps into the red abyss surrounding you; you barely make out the black leather jacket before he pounces. A low snarl in your ear sends your entire body into a panic, paralyzing every muscle._

_Your captor pulls away, studying your expression. The scar crossing the middle of his face pulls you back to focus, “G-Gavin?”_

_A smirk spreads on his lips, the same lips that now press against the pulse thumping in your neck. His body cages you against the bed as you whimper, chest rising up from the mattress in a moment of weakness. You like this too much, and Gavin notices._

_One hand flies up to the binding of rope above your head, freeing your hands. The rope is quickly replaced with a strong, firm hand gripping your wrists, pushing them back into the pillow. Gavin sits back onto your hips. His other hand thumbs the mark he’s made on your neck, gently pushing into the skin, fingers wrapping around your throat._

_Your lips part as you gasp, hips bucking in anticipation. Gavin releases your neck as you suck in a breath. He places a hand on either side of you before leaning down and kissing along your jaw, lingering on the spot behind your ear. You let out a whine and he smiles against your skin._

_“You sing so well for me, baby,” Gavin hums, a rough grasp on your hip startling you. “Praise and punishment… I think you can guess what comes next, right, Detective?”_

_You closed your eyes, and suddenly Gavin began shaking the headboard of your bed— a rhythmic thump-thump-thump against the wall._

_He looks at you, “Detective?”_

_Thump-thump-thump. “Detective?”_

“Detective? It’s Connor.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is mainly plot mover/ filler but HOO BOY here is the first taste of spicy writing and I am *thirsty* :))) I hope y'all enjoy this, I'm so sorry it took so long to update! Again, hoping to get this on a regular upload schedule!


	3. Interrogations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is nothing more troublesome to a detective than more questions than answers.

Your eyes shot open as you bolted upright in your bed, hands planting firmly into the sheets beneath you. You let in a shaky breath as your surroundings came into focus; familiar features of your room pulling you out of the lingering feeling of your dream.

Connor’s voice continued from outside, muffled from behind your front door. “Captain Fowler asked me to come and check on you. May I come in?”

Panic-stricken, you checked the time; your phone on the bedside table read 11:43 a.m. You sighed, swinging your legs over the side of the bed. Bare feet hit the wood floors as you moved towards the entryway of your apartment; you rubbed the last bit of sleep from your eyes as you opened the door. Connor stood in front of you, uniform pressed and hands clasped together behind his back in a patient stance. His eyes scanned you and you immediately became aware of the juxtaposition in your appearances.

“You seem distressed,” Connor’s tone hinted at concern, his hands unraveling themselves from behind him and finding a new home in his crisp dress pant pockets.

You reactively looked down at your pajamas, smoothing over your shirt as if it would make you any more presentable, “Just had a bad dream is all.” You stepped aside and motioned for Connor to enter. He followed you into the kitchen, glancing at the piles of paperwork on your living room table.

Connor said your name as you turned on the coffee maker, “It appears your workload may have been the cause of a stress dream,” he looked at you. “Captain Fowler wouldn’t be happy to know you’re overworking yourself.”

You scoffed, “If he didn’t want to overwork me, he’d let me have a free weekend.”

Connor’s LED whirled yellow as he glanced at you, then back to the table, then back at you. “How many more of those cases do you have to finish?”

You sighed, pouring yourself a mug of hot coffee, then Connor, steam rising from the brew, “I’ve just about finished one… but I still need a confession, or plea deal,” you hand Connor his mug, “or something. Anything.”

Connor took the drink from your hands, a courteous gesture given food or drink wasn’t necessary for an android to function. He sat down next to you on the couch, watching you intently as you took a sip from your cup. “Are any of these cases android specific?”

“Hey Google, open up the windows and crack the blinds a bit, please?” You interrupted Connor momentarily as the Google Home processed your request. Light trickled into the living room, warming you. “Android specific? It feels like that’s all I get lately. Deviants doing deviant things and me coming in to clean up the mess.”

“You know I work with Hank solely on android cases,” Connor set his mug down on a coaster, turning towards you, “If you needed a bit of help, I’d be happy to assist until you’ve finished your caseload.”

You gave Connor a soft smile, “That would be really nice–” You remembered your conversation with Gavin yesterday, “but I think I need to do this on my own. I shouldn’t be taking help so early in my assignments.”

Connor looked genuinely confused, brows knitting together as he turned towards the table. “You’re saying you don’t want an android with endless data capabilities to assist you with your work?” He ended with a half-grimace, half-smile and looked back up at you, eyes reading a pureness in his response.

“I’m not saying I don’t want you to help, Connor… I’d just…”

“Rather suffer through a painstaking amount of casework on a Saturday afternoon than allow me to do you a favor,” Connor finished your sentence for you, picking up a piece of paper from the pile.

“Favors usually expect something in return.” You joked and a smile crossed your face as Connor’s LED swirled in the midst of processing a response to your teasing.

“I can assure you, there are no repayments needed. Personally, I don’t like you sleeping at the station, and the more I can do to keep that from happening, the better.” Connor studied your face as you chuckled into your mug and shook your head as you took another sip. You looked out the window onto the city’s horizon; everyone was already well into their day as you were just starting yours.

“Okay, I’ll let you help me,” you start as Connor perks up at your response, “but, you need to promise that you let me take credit for the progress. I want this to be the majority of my own work, got it?”

“Whatever it takes, Detective.” Connor started pulling together pieces of documents as you both conversed over the case.

Connor’s company was nice. There was a clear contrast between the fast-paced, ruggedness of being around Gavin and the contemplative, gentle nature of Connor. You knew Connor wasn’t always like this, however, because you’d seen him in what you coined ‘The Negotiator’ role.

On your second day at the station, a coworker showed you around the building and let you briefly tour into the interrogation room. 

An android detective sat across from another android, his forearms resting on the cold surface as he stared at the suspect. The criminal android was visibly disturbed, blood covering his face and uniform, handcuffed arms beginning to show his porcelain parts beneath. The detective’s face was washed of emotion and his voice ricocheted off the walls of the barren room.

You turned to your coworker, “Is this what they’re using androids for? Interrogating other androids so they can meet them on their level?”

The detective shrugged, “I’ve only ever seen RK-800 in the room with other androids, but I’m sure it could talk to humans, too.”

“RK-800? It doesn’t have a name?”

“Some people call him Connor. I couldn’t care less either way.”

“If you won’t talk, I’m going to have to probe your memory,” Connor stated, the force in his voice rising.

“No!” The android began to sit up, shaking. “No… please don’t do that.” His LED circled yellow with fear and anticipation. “What… what are they going to do to me?”

Connor watched the android intently as its face morphed into an expression of realization, “They’re going to destroy me, aren’t they?”

“They’re going to disassemble you to look for problems in your biocomponents. They have no choice if they want to understand what happened.” Connor was deadpan in his presentation of the truth.

You looked around the small room on the other side of the one-way mirror. Two other detectives stood beside you, arms folded, watching Connor attempt to pressure the android into admitting he committed the crime.

Connor slammed a file down on the table, causing you to jump.

“Twenty-eight stab wounds,” Connor yelled at the android, rising from his chair, “you didn’t want to leave him a chance, huh?”

The android looked down at his hands, rocking in his seat as Connor continued, “Did you feel anger? Hate?” He circled the chained android, “He was bleeding, begging you for mercy… but you stabbed him again,” Connor jabbed a finger into the shoulder of the android with each repetition of the word, “and again, and again.”

You shifted your weight uncomfortably between your feet. You glanced at your coworker next to you, “I think I should be getting back to my cubicle–”

Connor’s palms smacked the table next to the android, “Just say ‘I killed him.’ Is it that hard to say?” His voice was near earth-shaking, piercing through the metallic room. He grabbed the android by the front of his shirt and lifted him out of his chair, “Just say you killed him… Just. Say it,” Connor’s booming voice forced the android to break, finally admitting to murdering his owner with a knife.

You looked down at your shoes, muttering about paperwork and left the small crowd watching the spectacle Connor had produced, pulling the door open and keeping your eyes on the floor as you found your way back to your desk.

You snapped yourself from the jarring memory, moving closer to Connor to look at the document he’d picked up. You glanced at his features from the corner of your eye, comforting yourself in knowing that the android seated next to you wasn’t  _ all  _ cold and calculated. A single curl of brown hair fell in front of his face, LED weaving between blue and yellow as he read over the paper, warm brown eyes acting as a window into his complex circuitry.

Connor looked up at you as you marveled over his structure, your faces meeting for a moment. You noticed a glint of something hidden in the shadows of his eyes and you quickly inhaled, embarrassment reddening your face. You smiled awkwardly and looked back down, biting your lip. 

_ CyberLife really knew what they were doing when they created Connor _ , you thought.

Connor shifted in his seat, getting up and taking a coin out of his pocket as he paced the floor of the apartment. He rolled the coin between his fingers as he thought.

“Is that supposed to help or something?” You finally spoke, voice nearly above a whisper from the prolonged silence.

“It focuses me in a way. I’m calibrating my cognitive functions,” he said, flicking the coin with one hand and catching it with the other, back and forth. “I’m making connections between your research and the DCPD internal database. I think we can have this case closed in the next hour.”

You raised an eyebrow, “Please, by all means, make my day.”

“With what you’ve gathered, I believe that all we need is to bring the suspect in for questioning. From the sloppy nature of the crime, it seems like this android was unsure of their own motive from the start. It will be easy to pressure them into a confession.” Connor faced you, seemingly pleased with his findings.

You faced him, unamused. “That’s it? I go to Fowler on Monday and say, 'Hey boss, I’ve got both cases nearly solved, just need to yell at the suspects enough until they crack and case solved!'” You folded your arms.

“Precisely.”

You sighed, defeated. “Connor, I appreciate you immensely, but this is going to make me look less than competent, don’t you think?”

“Allow me to conduct the interrogation. I already read all the information on both files, I’m familiar enough with the cases to get your confessions.”

“Please don’t make me look bad,” you pleaded, thinking back to all the possible things that could have gone wrong the last time you saw Connor in aggressive detective mode.

“I wouldn’t,” Connor said your name reassuringly and you softened.

You stood up, rubbing your temples from the stress of the morning. You still hadn’t fully confronted the dream and it was getting to you, reminding you that you also hadn’t messaged Gavin at all. “We need a break, we've been at this for almost three hours.”

Connor looked at the clock on the stove, “Oh, I hadn’t realized.”

You plucked your phone from the side table as Connor wandered around the apartment, eventually ending up on the balcony. You rummaged through your bag for the piece of paper Gavin had handed you yesterday. You found it and keyed in the numbers on your phone, starting a new text message.

You thought about what to say, bouncing your knee.

**Is this DCPD’s famed detective Gavin Reed?**

You sent the message, placing your phone down next to you as you tidied up the table.

A moment passed before your phone vibrated with a reply.

**_Depends who’s askin’?_ **

You laughed.  _ As charming as ever,  _ you thought. 

**Just some nobody detective-in-training you held hostage at a bar. Still owe me for that btw.**

**_Well, if someone had let me help with that caseload boss man gave you, the debt would have been repaid, wouldn’t it?_ **

He had a point.

**You’ll just have to get creative.**

Another buzz from your phone.

**_Is that a challenge, kid?_ **

**If you’re up for it, sure.**

**_I’m up for a lot of things._ **

Was this Gavin flirting? You felt flustered, running your hand through your hair as your phone vibrated again in your hands before you could respond.

**_What are you doing tomorrow?_ **

You glanced through the sliding glass panes leading to the balcony. Connor was inspecting some of the plants lining the railing in little planter boxes wired to the support beams.

**The usual… sleeping until 10 and ruining the rest of my day with too much caffeine and zero productivity.**

**_My kind of person. Wanna get too much caffeine together around 9? Sorry to break your oversleeping schedule but that’s when I’m done at the gym._ **

Now it made sense why he was so fit.

**Are you asking me on a date Detective Reed?**

**_I keep my professional life and personal life separate, thanks._ **

You shook your head at his response.

**You’re doing a great job, let me tell you.**

Your thumbs flew across the keyboard, following up the previous message you sent.

**But yes, I would like to waste my Sunday with you.**

**_Cool, send me your address and I’ll pick you up. Sound alright?_ **

You decided to poke fun just one more time before signing off.

**Yeah, as long as I don’t have to call in backup when you inevitably force me to stay against my will.**

**_Listen, I never use force (unless it’s necessary) ;) See you tomorrow, Detective._ **

Your cheeks prickled and a dull ache formed in your stomach. The entire conversation didn’t even seem real.  _ There is no way on earth that this is a date, _ you tried to tell yourself.  _ Gavin Reed is not asking you on a date. This is simply professional, getting to know your coworker coffee. Not a date. Not… a date. _

You met Connor outside. He was laid back in one of the deck chairs, long legs outstretched, one ankle crossed over the other. His hands were folded, resting on his stomach as he leaned back in the chair. You remembered to send a quick text to your dad to wish him a happy birthday before you stuck your phone in your back pocket, sitting on the edge of the table on the balcony.

“Enjoying the view?” You watched as the corner of Connor’s mouth twitched. He sat up, turning to face you.   
  
“It’s a very nice view you have from here. Very quiet, but nice.”

“Speaking of quiet,” you left the door open as you slid back inside, “you mind if I turn on some music?”

“I like music,” Connor answered, following behind you.

“There’s this song that’s been stuck in my head for a few days. I hadn’t listened to it for years and then all of a sudden it came back up on my playlist.” 

You scrolled through the long list of songs on your music app. You queued up a few songs, moving to the fridge and searching for something to snack on before dinner. “Talk Too Much” by COIN, a song from your early teenage years, came on.

_ Caffeine, small talk _

_ Wait out the plastic weather _

_ Mmhmm, uh uh, discussing current events _

The song’s catchy guitar riffs and lyrics filled your apartment as you pulled a few items out of the fridge. You fixed up a small plate of food with a little extra to share, moving your head to the beat of the music as you bopped around the kitchen while Connor looked on.

_ I'll take my time _

_ I'm not the forward thinker _

_ You read my mind _

_ Better to leave it unsaid _

_ Why can't I leave it unsaid? _

You shut the door to the fridge with your hip as you stuck the plate on the breakfast bar that divided the kitchen and the living room. You locked eyes with Connor, his face a mix of confusion and awe at this new experience.

Without a word, you grabbed Connor’s hand and pulled him from his seat on the couch, twirling yourself around in his hand while you sang along to the music.

_ You know I talk too much _

_ Honey, come put your lips on mine and shut me up _

_ We could blame it all on human nature _

Connor’s eyes widened, watching you dance in front of him. You grabbed his hands, swaying him as you sang to him, causing his temple to glow rapidly with a golden hue.

_ Stay cool, it's just a kiss _

_ Oh, why you gotta be so talkative? _

_ I talk too much, we talk too much _

You finally let go, freeing Connor from your grip. He assumed his normal position, sticking his hands in his pockets, weight shifting on to one hip. After a while, he spoke up, “I have a question.”

You stop dancing, tilting your head at his blank expression, “Um, sure, go ahead?”

“Why do you like this song?”

You lowered the volume as the next song started to play, “I don’t know, I guess it’s fun to listen to? It makes me happy when I hear it?”

Connor nodded. You assumed he asked questions like this regularly to understand human behavior. You wondered how he stored all the information he took in on a daily basis about the functions of normal people.

“Why do you like to dance?” Connor spoke again as you started to pick at some of the spread you made for yourself.

You popped a cracker in your mouth, “There’s a lot of reasons to like dancing. It relieves stress, doesn’t really have any limitations or boundaries… you can dance by yourself or with other people.”

“Were you trying to dance with me?” Connor asked. “I haven’t danced before, I don’t quite know what I’m doing.”

You laughed at the innocence of the comment, “I think I was more dancing  _ at  _ you than  _ with  _ you, Connor. I can teach you how to properly dance another day.”

Connor paused for a moment, considering the idea. “I think I’d like that,” he said, moving toward the bar table. He picked up one of the crackers, inspecting the array of ingredients on top of it.

“It’s kind of like a lox bagel, but smaller,” you explained. “Just try it.”

Connor looked at the cracker, taking two fingers and swiftly scooping up a bit of the dill-flavored cream cheese on his fingertips. He stuck out his tongue and spread the mixture across it, pulling it back into his mouth.

“I’m sorry but what… what exactly was that?” You couldn’t help the visible grimace plastered on your face.

“I am programmed with the ability to analyze evidence through sensors on my tongue,” Connor explained. “I can identify blood types, DNA samples, various drugs, and in this case, a variety of ingredients.”

“Please for the love of everything that is good do not ‘identify’ a blood sample in my presence,” you joke, taking another cracker for yourself.

“The ingredients in this are complementary to each other, I think you did a pretty good job.” Connor attempted to smile. It was hit or miss with him, either he looked like a five year old on picture day or he gave you the sweetest, most earnest smile you’d ever seen.

Your eyes glanced at his lips as he took a bite, and he seemed to savor the small amount of food. Your gaze wandered down his jaw, over the exposed skin of his throat. You noticed the knot on his tie was loose; you took a step towards Connor and reached up to slip it back into place. 

You smoothed your hands down his jacket, surprised when he gently grasped your wrist in his hand. You looked back up as he placed the palm of your hand on his cheek. It was warm and felt incredibly similar to a human.

“Connor,” you half-whispered, feeling him lean into your touch. “Has anyone shown you kindness? Like, a hug or something?”

“People don’t usually interact with androids on a physical level, unless they are a Traci model.” He let your hand go, stepping back. You could see him go through various degrees of emotion, refusing to look at you. “I’m sorry.”

“What are you apologizing for?”

“For overstaying my welcome,” he began to move towards the door, but you blocked him.

“Woah, wait a second. You’re not leaving yet.” You put a reassuring hand on his arm. “Are you upset about what I asked?”

“No, that’s not it,” the colors of his LED danced between calm and on edge, satisfied and conflicted. “Captain Fowler’s orders were to come to your home and check on your progress. I’ve done both those things, so my presence here is no longer needed. I’ve completed my mission.”

Connor shrugged your hand off him as he crossed the apartment in a few steps, turning the handle to the front door. He paused, turning around, “I’ll see you at the station on Monday morning,” he said your name and your veins felt like they’d burst. “Thank you for having me as long as you did.”

You watched as Connor left, shutting the door behind him. You sighed heavily, your entire body feeling as if it were made of lead. There were too many thoughts for you to sort through today and you didn’t have the mental energy after all the casework to even begin to deal with it.

You tossed the empty plate into the dishwasher, ridding the only sign that you had company over. Connor’s actions prompted an endless sea of questions crashing into the unsuspecting coasts of your consciousness. 

Knowing his nature, you would probably never get the answers you were hoping for. 

Instead, you’d have to leave the questions for the interrogation room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FINALLY! AN UPDATE! I swear April... did not exist at all. Where did it go? I've been working some ridiculous hours lately so writing has been really hard to push into my day-to-day schedule. I really enjoyed writing the silly dance scene in this chapter. I know it has the tendency to be SUPER cheesy, but I think it added a nice segway into Connor finally becoming a more fleshed-out character. Thank you so much for all the love and support, as always. It seriously does wonders for me to know how much y'all enjoy reading my work.


	4. Know More

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You start breaking down some of the walls Gavin has put up... but if the walls were made of concrete and you have a child's dino dig pickax.

You checked your phone for the third time in five minutes, craning your neck to see farther up the street. You’d texted Gavin your address this morning and he let you know he was leaving the gym soon-ish, but it had been a while since you last heard from him. The time on your phone read 9:45 a.m., and you let out an exasperated sigh. You contemplated going back inside.

As you got up from your seat on the staircase just outside the lobby, you heard the familiar rumble of Gavin’s Jeep rolling up to where you were. You clutched your phone and wallet, walking up to the passenger side door as Gavin rolled down the window.

“Fuck, I’m sorry. I know I’m late,” He rushed the apology, leaning over to open the truck door for you. “I didn’t think the showers at the gym had become a fucking communal spa. Everyone was in there taking their sweet-ass time.”

He lit a cigarette as you situated yourself in the seat next to him. You looked over at Gavin as he began to drive away from your place and towards the west side of town.

Gavin had traded in his usual get-up for a heather gray sweater with the sleeves pushed up to his elbows. Dark blue jeans clung to his waist and legs, ending with a fairly new-looking pair of black leather boots. The warm smell of oranges and cinnamon mixed with the scent of tobacco as Gavin blew the smoke out of the corner of his mouth.

“Take a picture, kid, lasts longer,” he joked, snapping you out of your thoughts.

“I really should, huh? Not every day I get to see the detective all dressed up.” You glanced side-eyed at Gavin, your lip curling in a smirk as he took a long drag from his cigarette.

“Yeah, well you don’t look too bad yourself.” 

“You still haven’t told me where we’re going.”

“You’ll see. It’s a surprise.” Gavin looked over at you as you smiled, meeting his face for a moment.

“You really like to keep me guessing, Reed.” You turned towards the window.

“Yeah, I guess I do,” he sounded in thought, words trailing off at the end. “Did you finish up those cases Fowler assigned you?”

“I think so,” you hesitated, deciding now was not the time to mention Connor’s part in it all. “It really wasn’t that bad.”

“I remember my first year as a detective at the station; it was rough, let me fucking tell you.” He laughed, the sound rumbling in his chest. “I had lots of weekends like you. The difference being, I was a fuck-up kid trying to get his life straight and you… you’re not that.”

Gavin took a long pull from his cigarette as he kept his focus on the road, his words hanging in the air.

“Is this where you tell me about your dark, mysterious past?” You tried.

Gavin chuckled, shaking his head, “You’re not getting it out of me that easy.”

You and Gavin discussed the progress you made on your cases as you cruised down the highway, holding a steady speed on your way to wherever Gavin had in mind. When you arrived, you checked out your surroundings. You were on the west side of Detroit, parked outside of Great Mountain Coffee Shop. The soft glow from the neon sign beckoned you in as dark clouds began to slowly roll in above you.

Gavin opened the door for you as you stepped inside, the smell of fresh roasting coffee beans enveloping you in a warm, yet strong embrace. You closed your eyes, deeply breathing in the scent through your nose.

“Uh, get whatever you want, it’s on me,” Gavin said, crossing his arms over his chest as he looked up at the overhead menu. “They’ve got really great bakery stuff, if you’re hungry.”

You nodded your appreciation as you looked at all your options. You finally decided on a drink and found a cozy corner away from the dull chatter of patrons.

You sat down, Gavin following behind you, and placed your drink down on the table in front of you. Outside, the rain was barely beginning to tap against the windows of the cafe.

Gavin seated himself next to you. He placed one arm behind you along the top of the couch. “Fowler texted me today. We’re going on a stakeout this week.”

“Hmm.” You thought about sitting in a car with Gavin for hours on end. The idea alone made you shift in your seat. “Related to our case or…?”

“Yeah. He wants us to watch the residence, see if we find anything unusual or if the android comes back to visit the property.”

“But that doesn’t make any sense. Why would the android come back to the scene of the crime? It seems like a waste of time to me.” You took a sip from your drink, tasting the flavors of fall slip over your tongue.

Gavin shrugged, “Doesn’t matter, you’ll be stuck with me and that’s good enough.” He reached behind your head and tugged your hair. Your hand instinctively flew up to smack his away.

You put your drink down, turning towards Gavin. “You know, sometimes you treat me like a child and it’s really starting to bug the shit out of me.”

Gavin seemed taken back by the blatant comment, putting his hands up in feign surrender, “Hold on a second–”

“No, I’m serious. I join the precinct and you don’t even give me the time of day. Fowler forces you into taking me on as some kind of revival for your position and you act like I’m not capable of wiping my own ass.” You feel your chest tighten. The words flew from your mouth faster than you were able to comprehend them, “I get you’re skeptical, but you need to start acting like I’m actually your partner. We’re equal; I think you forget that.”

Gavin scoffed, placing his drink next to yours and lowering his voice, “You think I went through all the bullshit I did for some fresh face to tell me that they’re equal to me?”

You met his tone, “Maybe that’s the problem, Gavin. I don’t know anything about you. And you sure as hell don’t know anything about me.”

You watched as Gavin grumbled, sitting back against the couch. He took a sip from his coffee and stared at you, sending shivers through every muscle in your body. His eyes reflected the silver of the storm clouds rumbling outside as the rain began to beat down harder on the street. For a moment, you thought you saw his face soften while he was in his own head, only to quickly switch back to his rough demeanor.

“You had your chance at the bar, but you were so worried about following the rules we didn’t have much time to exchange formalities, did we?” Gavin wet his lips, slowly pushing you back towards the harmless, superficial banter you’d become accustomed to.

You ignored Gavin. Instead, you threw him into the deep end of the inevitable.

“I want to know more about you.”

He paused. “You don’t need to know any more than you already do.”

“Are you, like, afraid I’m going to judge you or something? Because I’m not like that.” You tried, tip-toeing along the precipice of Gavin shutting you out completely.

“I already told you, I keep my personal life and my professional life separate.” Gavin raised his cup to his lips, staling any further questioning. When he was finished, he got up and tossed the empty paper cup into the nearby garbage can, turning towards you and sticking his hands in his pockets.

“You finished?”

You glanced at your lukewarm drink. _What a waste_ , you thought to yourself as you stood up and threw away the remaining bit of coffee.

Gavin strolled out of the coffee shop, and you followed close behind. You both stood under the small awning outside, shielding yourselves from the rain. 

“We’ll make a break for it, it’s not raining that hard,” Gavin explained. He grabbed his keys out of his pocket, pulling his jacket up over his head as he ran towards the Jeep.

You stood under the safety of the overhang for just a moment longer, bracing yourself for the droplets to hit you. You darted out, shoes splashing against the road.

Before you could cross the second lane, the blare of a horn caught you off guard. Your head snapped to the right as you saw a car speeding towards you. You jumped backward and stumbled over your feet as a gust of wind shifted your balance, water and dirt spraying you. The smell of burnt rubber filled your nostrils as the shrill horn faded into the distance.

You wiped the grit out of your eyes and felt your hands tremble against your cold skin. Gavin’s muted voice yelled your name, the deafening pulse of your heart clogged your ears as he yanked you out of the middle of the street and onto the sidewalk.

Gavin’s lips were moving, but no sound was coming to you. You felt his hands clasp around your arms, shaking you gently. His palms met your cheeks, steadying the chatter of your jaw as he pulled your face up to meet his. The ambiance of the city crashed against your eardrums at once, awareness hitting you hard.

“Hey! What the fuck were you thinking,” Gavin’s voice shook slightly, a mix of emotions crossing his features, “You could have gotten fucking hit. You’re a goddamn mess…” He stopped talking suddenly, quickly glancing over your face.

“We’re going to my place,” Gavin continued, guiding you to the truck with a steady hand pressed against your back, “Your apartment is on the other side of town, you’ll freeze to death by the time we get there.”

All you could manage was a nod and a noise that resembled acknowledgment. Your brain was muddled and fuzzy, still trying to comprehend what had just happened. Gavin laid his jacket across the passenger seat and hopped in the Jeep, blasting the heat the moment he started the engine. 

You sat down, arms crossed against your chest. You hadn’t realized the spray from the car had completely soaked through your clothes, exposing everything underneath. Your cheeks warmed with embarrassment.

Gavin’s apartment wasn’t far from the coffee shop, a quick fifteen-minute drive down the back roads and you had arrived. He kept you within arms reach as you climbed the stairs towards his place. Gavin fumbled with the keys, eventually turning the lock to open his front door. 

He threw his jacket on a hook near the door, water droplets rolled off the leather and hit the tile below.

“Strip,” Gavin said bluntly as he walked down the hall into what you assumed was his bedroom.

“I– what?”

“Take your clothes off at the door, I don’t want dirt and shit all over the floors.” Gavin watched your bewildered face, laughing at your concerned expression. “I’ll get you a change of clothes, alright? Christ, I’m not trying to see you naked.” 

He mumbled something indiscernible as he retreated to his bedroom. You heard the sound of drawers opening and soon articles of clothing were thrown in your direction, landing at your feet.

“That’s the best I’ve got,” Gavin yelled from the other room. “Come find me when you’re decent.”

You peeled the wet clothing that clung to your body off, tossing it on the floor with a heavy splosh against the entryway. As you undressed, you examined the clothing Gavin had thrown at you—a navy blue, oversized DCPD sweatshirt and black sweatpants. You pulled them on, still feeling slightly uncomfortable knowing there was nothing between your skin and the fabric.

Bare feet against the carpet, you made your way down the hall to Gavin’s room. You knocked on the closed door and heard a grunt, followed by footsteps. Gavin opened the door and leaned against the doorframe, giving you a once over.

“You can keep those, if you want. I kept ‘em as spares just in case, but they don’t fit me anymore. I was a lot thinner when I first started at the station.” Gavin walked over to a desk in the corner of the room, situated in front of a large floor-to-ceiling window that looked onto the balcony. The surface of the desk was piled with papers and files, probably work from the office he’d taken.

“Looks like your weekend shifts are still a thing,” you commented, nodding towards the papers.

“Yeah, I decided to take some stuff home with me…try and make it easier on myself come Monday.”

“You’re really dedicated to your job, aren’t you?” You sat down on the edge of Gavin’s bed near his workspace. Gavin took a seat next to you in his chair.

“Something like that.” Gavin met your eyes. “Are you okay? You were really spacing on me after that guy ran that light. The prick didn’t even pull off or nothing.”

“I’m okay. I was just really freaked out. I can hardly remember what happened… it all came at me so fast.” You buried your hands in the crooks of your elbows.

Gavin sighed, “Just don’t be doing that shit when our backs are against a wall and we’ve got dudes with guns aimed at us.”

You deflated a bit. Just more ammo for Gavin not to treat you as an equal partner. “Yeah, it won’t be like that. Don’t worry.”

“Alright.” He turned around, tidying up the scattered files.

“Gavin?” You turned towards him, bringing your legs up onto the mattress and crossing them. “Can I ask you something?”

“Hmm?” His head was still down in his work.

“How did you get that scar? The one across your nose?” You held your breath as you watched Gavin straighten in his chair, standing up and throwing one leg over the side to straddle the seat. His face was barely more than half a foot from yours.

“Bar fight. Some people don’t know how to keep their mouths shut, so I have to teach them.” He exhaled slowly, continuing. “This… complete fucking idiot of a dude was talking so much shit that night. He was so drunk he couldn’t have told you his own name. But he was pointing at different people at the bar, yelling out to them. Insults, sexual comments, you name it.”

Gavin took a moment, his eyes flicking over your face as he spoke, “Finally he points to me and says, ‘Look at this bastard. Good for nothing pig, that’s all you cops are. Fucking pigs.’ And he took what was left of his beer and threw it at me. It missed, but I was already gone and seeing red. I stood up and got real close in his face and I asked him if I was going to be one to throw him in the hold for assaulting an officer, or if I’d have to call backup? And this guy whips out a switchblade and slices a nice gash right through here,” he slid his finger across his face, from the corner of his right eye to the lower middle of his left cheek.

You lifted your hand to Gavin’s face, fingers ghosting over the still-pink skin of the scar. Gavin leaned closer to you as his lips found yours and your fingers caught themselves in his hair.

He pushed off the chair, one arm wrapping around your back and the other steadying himself as you both fell back into the sheets. Gavin moaned, hunger in his voice as he pulled the air out from your lungs with each kiss. You whined against his mouth as he pinned your arms above your head, vivid red memories flooded your brain.

“Gav–Gavin,” you sounded so desperate, as if every fiber in your body would cease to respond if he pulled away. Gavin smiled against your skin, nipping at the soft part of your neck. Your hips bucked involuntarily, drawing out a deep, heavy groan from the man on top of you.

He released the hold on your wrists and your hands grabbed at his hair, tugging as his mouth slid over your collarbone and you felt his fingers dig into your side.

Explosions of sensations across your body made it impossible to focus on just one thing. You were drowning in a tidal wave of pleasure, a capsizing ship in the sea of Gavin Reed. Gavin pulled away suddenly, hovering above you as the strain of his own weight created rivers of veins throughout his arms. You let go of his hair, hands falling to rest on his chest.

“Fuck…” Gavin exhaled, pushing off the bed to sit up again. You followed, positioning yourself next to him. Your legs touched from how close you were to each other.

You stayed silent, several questions slipping in and out of your mind; your partnership, DCPD, _Connor_.

Gavin cursed again, slightly louder and more irritated, “I didn’t… this wasn’t my intention.” He looked at you, and for a moment he looked younger, helpless and unsure of himself.

“Gavin, it’s okay,” your voice was gentle and soft as you stood up to meet Gavin where he was standing, continuously running a hand through his hair. You placed your hand on his forearm and he looked at you, grey eyes wild with an emotion you didn’t understand.

“I’m not fucking this up,” he said your name and your heart slammed in against your ribcage. “I’m not–”

You pulled Gavin’s face to look at you. His chest swelled as he inhaled, crashing his lips against yours once more as you both stood in the middle of the bedroom. He gripped under your thighs, pulling you up onto the bed as he placed himself between your legs. Each of your thighs was held down against the mattress, strong hands rubbing circles over your skin as he bit your bottom lip.

The simple action made you sigh, opening your mouth just enough for Gavin to deepen the kiss. He pecked kisses across your cheek and down your jaw. You moaned softly as Gavin bit down on the tender spot on your neck, sucking the skin to soothe the sting of his teeth. There was no way you’d be able to hide that tomorrow.

Gavin moved back up to kiss you one last time before pulling away. You sighed your frustration, sitting back on your elbows as Gavin got up, shifting his pants to try and conceal the obvious bulge in the front.

You watched him, catching his eyes for a moment before he turned away. “Do you want to take a shower? I’ll throw your clothes in the wash and they’ll be done in a bit,” Gavin shifted nervously.

“That would be great. Thank you, Gavin,” you stood up and kissed his cheek, feeling him press into the gesture before leading you to the bathroom. He fixed the water for you and left to go clean your laundry. You were thankful Gavin was not a “3-in-one” shampoo, body wash and face wash kind of guy, and you stepped out of the shower feeling much better. 

You put back on the sweatshirt and sweatpants and found Gavin in the living room on the couch.

“I was trying to find a movie or something, it’ll be a bit before the clothes are dry.” He flipped through some channels on the television as you sat next to him. You rested your head on Gavin’s shoulder as he started an old romantic comedy from the early 2000s.

The excitement of the day finally began to catch up with you as your eyes became heavy. Gavin looked over at you from the corner of his eye and pulled a blanket from the arm of the couch over you. You slid your legs to the end of the couch, placing your head in Gavin’s lap as he started to gently stroke your hair.

The last thing you remember before you drifted off was Gavin mumbling something that sounded like your name.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOW SORRY THIS HAD ALMOST A MONTH OF NO CONTENT??? This chapter was... painful, to say the least. I wanted to get so much right with Gavin and the reader's relationship and I didn't want it all to be pure, unadulterated smut... so this will have to do. For now. Let me know what you think! I promise next chapter is already WELL planned out and will not be this long of a lapse before it's up~


	5. Complex

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gavin is pissed. Hank is drunk. Connor is confused. Men, amirite?

The metallic buzz of the dryer in the distance stirred your hazy mind from its rest as your eyelids fluttered open. You adjusted to the light filtering into the apartment; from where the sun sat in the sky, you assumed it was close to early afternoon. 

You shifted and felt the presence of a calloused hand wrapped around your thigh. Your eyes peered up to see Gavin asleep, mouth slightly agape as he snored softly. You stretched your legs out and yawned, causing Gavin’s mouth to twitch as he woke. He cleared his throat, arching his back as he inhaled deeply.

“Good morning,” he mumbled, laziness hanging onto his words. He gave your thigh a squeeze as you righted yourself on the couch.

You rubbed your eyes, “What time is it?”

Gavin looked at his dimly-lit phone screen, “It’s about… 12:30. You doing alright?” He reached up to smooth back a few rogue strands of your hair. Slowly, you recalled the last few hours of the morning. All of the emotions must have really done a number on your energy.

“Yeah.” How did a coffee run with your coworker turn into falling asleep on his couch and—worse yet—falling asleep with him? You said what needed to be asked, feeling like you were watching the conversation unfold from outside your body. “Gavin, can we talk about what happened?”

Gavin grunted, pushing himself off the couch and began unloading the dryer, setting your clothes to the side. “Well? Go on.”

You chewed the inside of your cheek, “How long have you felt this way about me?”

Gavin’s shoulders tensed slightly, “Felt what way?”

You wondered if he was being genuine or trying to hide the truth. “I assume you don’t just go around hitting on all of your coworkers, do you?”

The characteristic, loud laugh you’d heard before in the precinct belted from the washroom. Your brows subconsciously knit together, “Honestly, though, this can’t start affecting our work relationship.”

“Who the fuck cares if it does?” Gavin closed the door of the dryer harder than intended and the slam echoed, causing you to flinch.

“I do, and rightfully so.” You stood up, meeting Gavin in his bedroom once again. “If Fowler finds out about this he will never take me seriously–”

Gavin groaned in frustration at the mention of his boss, “Why do you give a shit what he thinks of you?” He said your name, rubbing his hands over his face. “Why are you so worried about everyone else and what they think?”

You could only stare at him. You didn’t know what you felt pooling inside you, but whatever it was didn’t feel _right_. A lump formed in your throat, thick with regret of bringing the subject up. You hung your head, staring at your feet uncomfortably shifting on the carpet. 

When you looked back up, Gavin’s eyes were still on you, waiting for an end to the silence. He raised an eyebrow. “Well, Detective? Since you’re so good at figuring things out, what do we do then?”

Your eyes narrowed, hot tears threatening to well up and give away your brewing anger. “Don’t mock me.”

“I’m simply asking–”

“I don’t have the answer you’re looking for. Not right now.” You grabbed your pile of clothes off the bed and held them tightly against your chest. “I’m ready to go home now.”

Gavin’s face fell as he bit his lip, nodding once. “Alright, then.”

The ride home from Gavin’s apartment was a blur with few words said and each of you avoiding eye contact. When you hopped out of his Jeep, Gavin gave you a curt nod; his lips seemed to vanish from how tightly he pressed them together.

You sank into the couch in your living room, chest constricting now that you were alone. You let out a pitiful gasp as your body heaved from your shoulders, heavy from all the anger and fear and worry you had stuffed deep down. Droplets became streams, then became rivers that burned your cheeks and soaked your neckline. 

You stood up, ripping a throw pillow off the couch and screamed into it. Your whole body shuddered from the adrenaline finally finding an escape. You’d felt like someone had finally pulled the tab on you— a shaken-up soda can awaiting its release. As you descended from the high, exhaustion and gravity pulled hard on your limbs, beckoning you to sit back down.

You didn’t remember when you succumbed to sleep, but you jolted awake as your phone vibrated on the table, it’s bright light cutting through the darkness of your apartment. You grabbed it and squinted at the caller ID, unable to recognize the number.

You cleared your throat, still feeling groggy, “Hello?”

Connor was on the other line, your name coming out as a question. “I’m sorry to disturb you, were you sleeping?”

You sat up, finding the time on the microwave oven. You had been asleep for nearly five hours. “Uh, no, no I was just taking a quick nap,” you lied.

An unconvinced hum came through the phone. “I was calling to see if you’d like to accompany me on a crime scene visit. It seems as though I can’t get a hold of Lieutenant Anderson, and suspected android homicides fall within our casework.”

You put Connor on speaker and brought the phone into your bedroom with you, grabbing clothes to change into as you spoke to him, “I’m getting changed now, I’ll drive over to the station to pick you up and we’ll swing by Hank’s house on our way to the scene… Where exactly are we headed?”

Connor recited the words as if he was reading the dispatch log directly, “The Eden Club at 1177 Woodward Ave. There is a deceased male estimated to have died around 6 p.m.”

You rolled your eyes. Great, dealing with creepy dudes at a sex club is exactly how you wanted to be spending the end of your weekend. You plugged the address into your Google maps and tucked a pressed white button-up shirt into your navy blue dress pants. 

You rolled the sleeves up to your elbows as you talked, “Alright, I’ve got the address set. I’m leaving in five, so be outside the station waiting for me.”

Connor acknowledged your request and you hung up the call. You looked at yourself in the mirror, attaching your badge and holstering your gun on your hip before making your way out to your car.

You picked Connor up from the station and he gave you Hank’s address. On the drive over, you pried Connor about his superior, “I know you haven’t been with the precinct long, but how are you and Hank getting along?”

Connor thought about it for a moment, “Working with Lieutenant Anderson has its challenges… but I’m capable of adapting. It’s one of my many features.” You swore you could hear the smile in his voice. He must have been proud of himself for coming up with a clever comment.

You grinned, watching the road in front of you as Connor asked his own question.

“How are you and Detective Reed getting along?”

You snorted, catching yourself by biting your lip. “Detective Reed is truly lovely,” you retorted, hoping Connor could sense the sarcasm. “Every day is a new adventure with that one.”

“So you hate it?"

You sucked in a breath, “Long answer, there are a lot of things that make Gavin a very complex, very headstrong individual. Short answer, no, I don’t hate it. Maybe I could use some of that adaptability you’ve got.”

Connor chuckled and you were taken back by the outward expression. You liked seeing Connor act more and more like a human each day. You’d never admit that to him, though, since you feared humility equated to deviancy in his mind. 

And in the mind of CyberLife.

You arrived at Hank’s house at nearly 8 p.m. You sat in the car as Connor went up to the door and knocked. Then rung the doorbell… several times. There was no answer and he turned back to you, a puzzled look on his face. 

You rolled down the passenger-side window of the car, “Try the window? Can you see anything?”

Connor walked over to the closest window, his hair hanging forward over his face as he became soaked by the minute standing in the rain. He peered through the window, scanning the room before yelling out Hank’s name and breaking the window with his elbow.

You jumped, turning off the car and dashing over to the side of the house as Connor climbed through the window. As you reached the busted window pane, you assessed the scene in front of you. 

Connor was coaxing a large saint bernard dog to not eat him alive. Takeout containers and pizza boxes littered what you assumed to be the dining room table and there laid Hank, unconscious with an empty bottle of Black Lamb whiskey splayed on the floor next to a revolver.

“Oh, Hank…” You sighed, gingerly climbing through the window after Connor as the dog took refuge next to his food bowl. A big bag of dog food was tipped over and partially spilled out on the floor next to his large paws.

Connor bent down next to Hank, “Lieutenant?” He tapped Hank’s cheek with his palm, earning an incoherent grumble from the older man.

“Wake up, Lieutenant!” Connor reeled his hand back and smacked Hank across the face. “It’s me, Connor.”

“Jesus fucking Christ, Connor... You can’t just assault the guy, he’s unconscious!” You stepped forward, watching as Connor picked Hank up and slung his arm over his shoulder, talking to him as he did.

Hank’s speech slurred angrily, “Hey! Leave me alone, you fuckin’ android.” He paused, head bobbing and eyes struggling to focus on Connor’s face. “Get the fuck outta my house.”

“I’m sorry Lieutenant, but I need you,” he continued, pulling Hank along. “Thank you in advance for your cooperation.”

“Sumo!” Hank called out, supposedly to the dog on the floor that perked up at the mention of its name, “Attack!”

Sumo happily barked.

“Good dog,” Hank sloppily praised as Connor leaned him against the wall beside the bathroom. You snickered in the corner, walking over to introduce yourself to the dog. You reached your hand out and let him sniff the palm of your hand. Sumo lazily flopped over and allowed you to scratch his belly.

You heard muffled arguing, followed by a loud thud and a scream from Hank alongside the sound of rushing water. You hurried over to the bathroom, hanging in the doorway to witness Connor leaving Hank to the mercy of an ice-cold, sobering shower. 

You leaned against the doorframe, crossing your arms over your chest and fighting back your amusement as Hank begged for reprieve.

“Turn it off! Turn it off!” Hank gasped as Connor turned off the water, his face contorting into confusion, “What the fuck are you doing here?” 

He then turned to you, “And why the fuck are you here, too?”

You shrugged, pointing a thumb in Connor’s direction. “This one called me up, said they couldn’t get a hold of you so here I am, breaking into your house on my off day— or well, night, rather.”

Connor didn’t miss a beat, getting straight to the facts, “A homicide was reported 43 minutes ago. I couldn’t find you at Jimmy’s bar, so we came to see if you were home.”

Hank began climbing out of the tub, breathing heavily, “Jesus, I must be the only cop in the world that gets assaulted in his own house by his own fucking android.” He peered up at Connor through his long, sopping-wet gray hair. “Can’t you just leave me alone?”

“Unfortunately, I can not,” Connor continued, rationally as expected, “I’ve been programmed to investigate this case and I can’t do it without you.”

“I don’t give a shit about your goddamn case,” Hank spat back.

“Lieutenant, you’re not yourself. You should–”

Hank got up suddenly, voice raising to a yell, “Beat it! You hear me? Get the hell outta here!” He wobbled, nearly losing his balance as Connor caught him by his waist and set him back down onto the edge of the tub.

Connor sighed, “I understand.” His voice changed and you picked up on his persuasive tone. “It probably wasn’t interesting anyway… A man found dead in a sex club downtown,” Connor flapped his arms against his sides in mock defeat, stopping in front of you as he faced away from Hank, “Guess they’ll have to solve the case without us.”

Hank stirred, pressing his hand against his stomach. “You know, it probably wouldn’t do me any harm to get some air.” Hank’s eyes met yours, speaking to you now, “There are some clothes in the bedroom there.”

Connor passed you, making his way into the living room as you found Hank’s bedroom.

You opened the closet up to a series of colorful Hawaiian-style shirts you deemed only a dad going through a midlife crisis would wear. You browsed the options, finally settling on a streaky blue and white top, fishing through the drawers below for a pair of pants, underwear, and socks.

A hand grazed your shoulder as you turned around to see Connor standing behind you. You jutted the pile of clothing in your hands towards him, “These are for Hank.”

“Thank you, I’m going to check on him now. We’ll need to leave soon if we want to get a briefing.” Connor took the clothes from you and headed towards Hank, the echo of his violent vomiting against porcelain ringing through the house.

You moved into the living room, taking in Hank’s home. The television was tuned to CTN TV, a news channel with a polished looking man with gray hair reporting on Russian troops’ recent withdrawal from the Arctic. 

On top of an old radio with large silver knobs sat a record of “Autumn Blues” by the Michigan Brothers. You smiled inwardly, joking to yourself about a movie from your childhood, _‘Ya like jazz?’_

Connor emerged from the bathroom, meeting you in the kitchen. He picked up a photograph of a smiling young boy, about six or seven years old with ruffled brown hair and big, bright blue eyes. You watched his eyes shift as he assessed the photo, furrowing his brows as he put it down.

“What’s up?” You nodded to the picture on the dining room table.

Connor shuffled closer to you, dropping his voice so only you could hear, “It’s a picture of his son. His name was Cole. He died three years ago.”

Your heart sank, nothing but pain for the man who lost his son so young. You eyed the pistol on the floor and Connor knelt down.

“What were you doing with the gun?” Connor yelled over his shoulder to Hank.

“Russian roulette,” Hank yelled back from behind the bathroom door. “Wanted to see how long I could last… must have collapsed before I found out.”

Connor opened the chamber and spun it once. “You were lucky. The next shot would have killed you.” He put the gun back down and stood up as Hank walked out of the bathroom. Connor gave him a small, half-lipped smile as Sumo walked up to the three of you.

“Be good, Sumo,” Hank looked down as his dog. “I won’t be long.” He walked through the front door, and you and Connor followed.

With everyone packed into Hank’s car—and Connor driving given the current situation—you made your way to Eden Club.

You followed close behind the two men, overhearing Hank tease Connor about the location of the crime. “Now I know why you wanted to come here…”

Connor broke off from Hank as he continued into the club. You followed him over to a female android in a case. Her body moved seductively to the loud, bassy music in the establishment. Her light brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail, eyes deep with lust and sultry intent. She pressed her palms against the glass, staring back at you and Connor.

“You thinking about renting?” You joked, bumping your temporary partner with your arm, shaking him from his trance.

He shook his head, a soft blue hue prickling the skin under his eyes. He paused a moment, eyes scanning over your face, “They are programmed as sex androids to fulfill even the smallest of needs. However, I don’t believe they could ever live up to capabilities of human emotion–”

“Connor! What the fuck are you two doing?” Hank startled you both from your conversation.

You grinned sheepishly at Connor as he called out, “Coming, Lieutenant.” As Hank turned around, Connor threw you a wink that made your stomach flip. Your cheeks burned as you entered the private room where the crime scene happened.

That’s when you saw him.

The back of his leather jacket was facing you, his arms crossed tightly over his chest as he turned around, first sizing up Hank and Connor. Stormy gray eyes zeroed in on you, a barely noticeable twitch in their owner’s gaze as he spoke.

“Lieutenant Anderson and his plastic pet… What the fuck are you all doing here?”

Connor responded, “We’ve been assigned all cases involving androids.”

Gavin raised an amused eyebrow, eyes wide as he mocked Connor, “Oh yeah?” He shifted, looking down at the corpse wrapped in silky bed sheets. “Well, you’re wasting your time. Just some pervert who, uh, got more action than he could handle.” He laughed loudly, looking to a fellow cop, Chris Miller, to share his amusement.

Hank stepped forward, “We’ll have a look anyway, if you don’t mind.”

Gavin scoffed, backing up towards the door. “Come on, let’s go.” He motioned for Chris to follow. He scrunched his face up, wafting his hand toward his nose. “It’s starting to stink of booze in here.” He met Connor’s shoulder with a harsh check, his lip curling up as he stared you down on his exit.

Chris nodded civilly at Hank, “Night, Lieutenant.”

You watched Hank’s face harden and you placed a hand on his arm. “Don’t wait for me to start your investigation. I’ll be right back.”

Hank nodded silently, beginning to survey the incident with Connor as you hurried to catch up to Gavin before he left. As you exited the building, you saw Chris getting into his police car and pulling off as Gavin reached his Jeep.

“Hey,” you called out, your voice stilling him as you approached.

He turned around, arms over his chest in an attempt to look tough.”Why are you here?”

“First of all, I’m surprised you didn’t call me about this case considering, you know, I’m your partner.” You stifled a shiver, the rain leaving cold trails running down your forearms.

“Looks like you’re getting on just fine without me. Went and found yourself a real team of professionals there,” Gavin lectured and you rolled your eyes.

“I don’t know what the fuck your problem is, Gavin. I’m trying to do my job. Connor doesn’t owe me anything and yet I was invited to my first real crime scene... what have you done for me?”

Gavin’s eyes grew wide, an erratic groan exorcising itself from the depth of his chest, “Oh my god it makes sense now. You want to fuck the android, don’t you?”

You stared at him, bewildered and honestly put off at the accusation. “I’m sorry, I want to– Gavin what the fuck are you talking about?”

“Tell me the truth; you want to want to fuck the plastic prick like it’s one of these sex robots!” Gavin pushed off his Jeep, slowly moving towards you as you backed up. Eventually, your back hit a damp brick wall as he grabbed your arm.

“Let go of me, Gavin,” you warned, failing to yank free of his grip. Both hands clamped around your arms, holding you in place against the wall. His eyes searched your face frantically.

“What do you even see in that overpriced piece of plastic, huh?” Gavin let go of you, stepping back and looking you over. “They’re just going to replace us one day. That’s their _job_. How do you not understand that?” Your partner was getting more and more tense by the moment, his fists curling in and unraveling over and over. His words became spitfire from his lips as he lost himself to his emotions.

You remained calm. Working Gavin through his outbursts was proving to be a skill you didn’t know you’d need, especially for someone nearly a decade your senior.

“Connor is my coworker, Gavin. Whether you like it not, he is a part of the precinct and deserves to be there as much as me or you or Hank–”

Gavin put a hand up, the other on his hip, “Just… stop.” He sighed, both of his hands resting on his belt as he looked up at the sky. The rain was still coming down, lighter now, but still soaking you both through.

You waited a moment, watching Gavin pace in front of you before he spoke up again. “If you get off on solving crimes like goddamn Mystery Incorporated, then you can tell Fowler to transfer you to android homicides permanently, I’ll go back to narcotics and just fuck off.” He turned around, pulling a cigarette out of his pocket as he opened up the door to his Jeep.

One half of your brain begged to cry out to Gavin, to grab a hold of him and kiss him until you both forgot your names. The other half, the rational and unfortunately stronger side, kept your lips shut tight and feet rooted to the ground as the Jeep roared to life and tires screeched off into the dark alleyway.

Around the corner of Eden Club, you became keen to a clatter of items past a tall chain-link fence. The sound of a struggle alerted your legs to move, propelling you towards the noise.

You threw your body against the fence and squinted as you made out Hank and Connor in a fight with what looked like two female Traci androids, the same models from the club.

“Hank! Connor!” You yelled, your body urging you into a full sprint to the entrance of Eden Club. The owner stared at you, mouth agape as you rushed in and released your gun from its position on your hip. You quickly disengaged the safety, finding a door marked “PRIVATE STAFF ONLY.”

You stormed the area, busting the door open with your shoulder and instantly raising your gun into firing position. You did a sweep of the empty room and found nothing. A feeling of dread sat in your stomach as you weaved in between clothing and extra stocked Tracis.

You lowered your weapon as you approached the backs of your coworkers while two figures scrambled upright on the other side of the fence.

“What the hell happened while I was gone?” You stood next to Connor, watching the shadows scurry into the darkness of the streets.

“The Tracis got away…” Hank sighed, staring at Connor, “It’s probably better this way.” Hank turned around, walking back towards the door you’d just come from.

“Come on,” he clapped his hand on your back, saying your name. “let’s get you back home.”

You followed Hank, turning back briefly to see Connor’s gaze darting about as he assessed his surroundings.

You thought you saw rising uncertainty in his dark brown eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember when I said it wasn't going to be a month before I posted the next chapter? Haha... hahaha... ha... Anyway! I hope you enjoy, this chapter tore my heart out and stomped it onto the floor in the most glorious way possible and I hope it does the same for you :) Much love, y'all~


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